I'm a lurker, not a commenter. Why? Well, it isn't that I don't care about what you have to say, or that I don't care about you. It is simply that no matter how long I think about it, I always wind up saying exactly the wrong thing.

Yes, I'm a thread-killer. I admit it.

Every once in a while I can't help myself, and I throw in my 2 cents worth... and then I go back to lurking.

But tonight, my imaginary internet friend, I'll bite my tongue.

Sorry I haven't been around much lately. Fall has arrived and with it my tendency to hibernate!

This week I'm planning to make a test batch of stuffing - I'm taking my own food to Thanksgiving this year, so I don't wind up getting glutened by mistake the way I did last year. Who puts the spoon from a casserole onto the turkey platter? Evidently one of my sister's family or friends, that's who.

So once payday hits, I'll be stocking up on celery, onions and mushrooms. I have some Udi's bread in the freezer (I'm not much of a sandwich person, so a loaf lasts me a very long time) and I'll be adding some chicken broth just to keep things moist. Got to see if there are any turkey thighs in the store this early - they usually show up sometime in the fall. Anyway... hope you had a wonderful week and are enjoying the fall color.

Fast&Fresh by Food-Tek

Tried the cornbread the other day. Fast, easy, right out of the microwave. Can't beat it for convenience. Not as dense as gluten filled cornbread, rather spongy, but moist and tasty when warm... and covered in honey, of course! I think I'll buy it again.

Thank you, Mary... and thanks a lot, hay fever

First, I'd like to thank Mary from Quietly Contrary for the Gorton's Coupon! She has a lovely blog, and offers great information about being gluten free.

I'm going to love having some good fish in the freezer for those cold winter nights when I just want to warm up the kitchen and my belly with oven-baked goodness!

Second, and far less important, I'd like to thank my obnoxious immune system for treating me to yet another fall filled with sneezes, coughs and weepy spells. Thanks a bunch. Oh, well. At least this year I've got a prescription for an antihistimine with a decongestant. Talked with the doctor (yes, he actually spoke with me) and he sent in a script. Then chatted with the pharmacist, who told me it was a good thing he had, as while the drug is available over the counter? You can't get it for everyday use. It contains one of those "naughty" drugs, so you are only allowed so much before they put you on the suspicious persons list. Which is why I stopped taking it in the first place, even though the pulmonologist really wanted me to be on it every night.

Oh, well. At least I can breathe again.

Gluten free longer-term storage foods

Just in case any of you live in areas that are prone to things like, snowstorms, tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes... Augason Farms is having a sale on its longer term storage foods this week. They offer a number of certified gluten free foods that are canned and ready for camping, travel, and/or emergencies. Might be just the thing to include in a care package for your gluten free college student, as well!

Tis the season

To get your flu shot!! Come on, it isn't that bad. Yes, it is ouchie, but you can take it. I"m positive you've endured far worse. And let's face it, if you're anything like me, you have several vitamin deficiencies. And they just make you more vulnerable to the flu and other wintertime nasties. (Oh, and the flu doesn't only happen in the winter. Two summers ago I wound up in the hospital for two weeks with the stuff. Ugly!) So please, for your sake and the sakes of those who love you... get the shot. (Unless you have religious or other valid reasons not to, of course.) Thanks. p.s. got mine today. Hardly even felt it going in.

Just another manic Monday

Heading out in a little while to visit the vampires. Not actually sure why they need to draw blood as often as they do, but I suspect it is because I have good insurance. Afterwards, I'll be heading over to a friend's office to help her out with a spreadsheet. Grunt work, but someone needs to do it, and I have the time... and I usually get lunch out of the deal. That being said, I'll be stopping off at the grocery store on my way in, just in case. One week she decided she couldn't live without pizza. Thank goodness I had some treats in my purse! Giant Eagle is supposed to have gotten in some gluten free baked goods, but I'm pretty sure they aren't at the store near me. I'll have to go up to the one in Jackson Twp. to find them, if they're available in NEO at all. But eggs are on sale, and I can always pick up some corn tortillas and cheese to warm up in the microwave. (Strange combination, I know... but I like it.) Hope your week starts off well.

A great giveaway on a great blog

Quietly Contrary has a Gorton's grilled fillets giveaway happening right now. The fillets are gluten free, easy to prepare, and if I am remembering my Gorton's correctly from way back when... delicious. Please head over to Quietly Contrary to enter.

Make new friends, but keep the old...

"Ran" into an old friend this week. Haven't heard hide nor hair of him in ages and ages. Good to know he's still kicking. Starting to think of fall and winter dishes... looking forward to another Thanksgiving with my sister's family, none of whom are willing to change (in any way) anything they have for the holidays. I'm considering getting myself a roaster, and making my own version of "turkey" and stuffing and just taking it down with me. I've made stuffing from scratch for decades, and I figure it can't be too terribly much harder using Udi's bread than using regular bread. Got to add a bunch more liquid, as the gluten free baked goods just don't seem to want to get soft, no matter what you do with them. Other than that, sauteed onions, mushrooms, celery. A bit of Better than Boullion (chicken flavor), and some stock. Yeah, I think that rather than standing there not eating this year, I'll go ahead and bring my own. I know my sister will be disappointed, but I'm not looking forward to another holiday dinner spent avoiding everything I like. Anyway... happy weekend!

I can't believe how lucky I am

My family and most of my friends support me in everything, including the gluten free lifestyle. When I go to visit my friends, they either cook at home for me or suggest restaurants that they know have gluten free menus. They get it. Time and time again, I hear about people who are asked if they can't have "just a bit" or have something with gluten "just this once". I haven't run into that in the year and a half since my diagnosis. Sure, there are mistakes made, but they are honest mistakes. Can't fault them for that. All in all, I may be one of the luckiest celiacs around. And I love and appreciate those around me more than they will ever know.

Spaghetti Squash

My best girlfriend from high school invited me to a spur of the moment dinner at her house this week. Called and said "plan to stay for dinner - I'll make something you can eat". Gotta love this gal - she's a firm believer that there is nothing that can't be cured by exercise and a good attitude, but she goes out of her way to make sure I always have something that is safe to eat when I go to her house. And more than just a simple salad. Main dishes, sides, the whole nine yards. (I usually take dessert - usually my turtle brownies) This week's dinner revolved around some spaghetti squash she had cooked and frozen last fall. Yum! A little butter, a little maple syrup, and we were good to go with a great side dish that went really well with the ham she heated for dinner. She added in some chopped potatoes sauteed with butter, green and red peppers and onions, and I thought I was in heaven. It sounds so simple, doesn't it? In fact, she sent me home with some of the squash and I'm having it for dinner again today. In other news... I'm going to have a completely gluten free kitchen in a very few days. Getting rid of everything left over by my daughter and her friend who lived here from January to June. The unopened things will be sent to my daughter (she's a junior in college, and always broke) and anything else? Out. Just out. I'm tired of becoming ill because someone else in the house made themselves a meal and didn't clean the pot or utensils completely before putting them away. I know it is hard to get rid of all the gluten, but seriously? Can't you use one of the old pans to make your mac and cheese? Why do you have to use the new pans I got when I received the diagnosis? The whole idea was to never have any gluten ingredients in them, so I would always know they were safe. Which reminds me - If I ever, ever say I'm taking someone other than my daughter in again? Slap some sense into me.

Gluten Free at Ohio State University?

Ohio State has a really nice program on its website that allows you to view different allergen/dining choice options at each of its meal facilities. It does a good job of letting you know which places will only be able to serve you coffee, but it has a couple of drawbacks. At one location, it lists as gluten free a tuna salad sandwich on a croissant. Probably not a safe choice. And at another, it lists seitan entrees as gluten free. Really? Seitan? Otherwise known as "wheat-meat"? 100% wheat gluten? Yeah, that seitan. Evidently if wheat is not listed on the ingredient list, they think it is safe to label the item as gluten free. They also include on the list lots of fried things - including boneless (breaded) chicken wings. My daughter will be taking a class there this winter, but thank goodness she doesn't have any dietary restrictions. If she did? I'd have to rethink sending her to a university that can't even program a web app to properly identify croissants and breading as not gluten free. Not to mention the seitan. That should be excluded entirely. Guess I won't be having too many meals with her while she is down there. Sigh.

Heading out to spend some time in my friend's office today. Well, after dropping the three boxes of gluten filled things at the post office. And to pick up some more boxes! I have some turkey over there, and I'll be taking corn tortillas and cheese. Never know what they'll want for lunch. I was over there last Tuesday, and all of a sudden they decided they couldn't live without pizza. Yeah... so much for me having lunch that day! So now I'm prepared. Hope we will get this project finished up today or tomorrow, so I can get back to packing - I'll be relocating (somewhere) soon, so I need to get all my stuff together. Another good reason to ship all the extras off to my daughter! Made a tortilla de patatas the other day. It is a great gluten free snack food that makes a pretty darned good meal as well. I might just have to make another one this coming weekend - I can nibble on it all weekend, and never feel the need to go out and get junk food that is not only bad for my waistline, it is really bad for my budget. Take care.

Finally getting rid of all the gluten containing things in the house. Shipping them off on Monday to my daughter! She can use the extra food, and I can get rid of stuff I've had tempting me since the diagnosis. It is lonely here without her, but she'll be home in December. That might be the last time I see her until the following year, though, as she's planning to study overseas. She really is a good girl, and she tries very hard to eat things that are good for me when she's home. (But she really, really hates gluten free baked goods.) Anyway, I'm enjoying some cheesecake with blueberry pie filling. Yum. Don't miss the crust at all.

I've got to get my you-know-what together. I did manage to have some protein, and a vegetable today (yesterday, now) but I've really got to start making actual meals instead of subsisting on chocolate and potato chips. Maybe tomorrow. I have some chicken, and plenty of rice. I could make something out of them. (Just sent Maria back to college, and I'm a tad bit depressed.)

End of summer

Last night with my daughter - tomorrow morning at six she leaves for California, for her Junior year in college. How the time flies. Seems like just a couple of weeks ago she arrived home with big plans for the summer... now the summer is over, and she's off on yet another adventure. At least now I can really clean all the gluten containing foods out of the cupboards. She may or may not be home for an extended break over the holidays, but she has discovered that she really *can* eat corn pasta, and gluten free meatballs. I'm going to miss her terribly.

Apple Pie and an apology

Sorry I have been away for so long. Life gets in the way sometimes, and this time? It bit me in the behind big time. However, I have just received a sample from Katz Gluten Free and I'm in love. Apple pie that tastes like apple pie. Who'd have thought? They offer cherry and blueberry as well, and my mouth is watering waiting for my very favorite pie in the world (blueberry) to arrive! I have to miss this year's outing to Kennywood (near Pittsburgh) that we enjoyed so much last year. I'll be taking my daughter back to school at right around that time, and the trip down there is just not going to be possible. But if you have the chance, you should go... they have gluten free fries (and they taste great) and if you take your own cone, you can get the soft-serve and just sit back and enjoy. They also have a picnic area and encourage you to bring your own food and drinks. Can't think of anyplace more allergy friendly than that! I'll try to be around more, but I'm going to be moving sooner or later, so I have a boatload of packing to do. Ugh. I had hoped never to have to do that again.

AlpineAire Gluten Free Product List

I don't know about anywhere else, but around here... winter is coming. And with it are blizzards and power outages. So it is very helpful to have a bit of extra food (amont other things) around just in case.

AlpineAire offers a variety of dehydrated foods that can be used in such circumstances, and they also offer a wide variety of informative listings on their site. There are other allergen listings as well as the gluten-free list.

One thing, though - the apple flakes and diced apples are not on the gluten-free list. However, I emailed the company and got their assurance that they had contacted the manufacturer (on the second email - their first stated that they were going to contact them) and the apple products are gluten free.

The entire exchange took less than half an hour, and they were very helpful.

This winter, I'll be eating better as I sit here waiting forever for the roads to be plowed.

GF Tasting at The Raisin Rack today!

I'll be attending the GF tasting at the Raisin Rack in Canton this afternoon. Should be very interesting - there are so many things out there that I haven't tried! I will be picking up some gf burger buns while I'm there, to accompany the hot dog buns I got last week from The Grainless Baker.

The hot dog bun worked out really well, considering. And by that, I mean I was cooking over a bonfire, so the hot dog (and bun) went onto the cooking stick! Made quite the impression on the rest of the guests. But next time I'll save the seasonings for after the cooking... too much ketchup and the smaller side of the bun got a bit soggy and tried to break away from the rest.

Tasted pretty darned good, though. Nice and warm, a little crusty from the fire, and very good with that hot dog. (I'll heat the hot dog thoroughly before putting it into the bun in the future, though.)

All in all, it was a great evening.

My sister invited me for a cookout at her house this coming Saturday. Now, this is unusual. She lives over three hours away from me. But... she's invited one of her co-workers to come over, and that co-worker is also a Celiac. So I'm bringing the brownies (in a disposable pan, and already baked) and I'm going to grab a few treats for her friend as well. She has been a great help in finding things locally down there. My sister tries really hard to make sure I have things to eat, and that I'm safe in her home. She's sweet. And her friend has been a huge help. Turns out there are GF areas in the Meijer stores, and that Kroger has a lot of gf options as well. (Just not their cottage cheese, for some odd reason.)

So I'm making my turtle brownies (they were a bit hit the last time) and buns and I'll pick u an assortment of little things to take down with me for her. Maybe I'll even take a box of Glutino crackers for her... and I'll absolutely be taking the new Snyder's pretzels. I'm pretty sure she can't get them down there yet... they're still mostly in Whole Foods stores. (My wonderful GIG leader, Denise, got some for the Raisin Rack in Canton. I think it was blackmail...)

Hope all is well with you, and that you're finding lots of great gf eats this week.

Out of the blue

This evening I got a call from my sister in Columbus (well, outside Columbus).

She asked me to come to a cookout on the 18th. That's a little unusual, as I'm over three hours away from there. But then came the really strange thing - she asked me to bring brownies!!

She's inviting one of her friends who is also a Celiac, so I'll bring some burger buns and things as well - some things she might not be able to get way out in the middle of nowhere!

And... I get to miss a baby shower. Not that I don't want to celebrate, but those games make me crazy.